Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mackenzie Stokx. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Mackenzie, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s talk about social media – do you manage your own or do you have someone or a company that handles it for you? Why did you make the choice you did?

I manage my own social media accounts, and it is definitely a second full-time job. Before starting my own business, I was never really a fan of social media or participated in it all that much. However, after launching my business, I realized that social media is one of the most important aspects of running a business, especially in the wedding and event industry since it is such a visual community. After accepting that I was going to have to work hard to build up my socials in order to create both credibility and community, I spent hours reading blogs and articles, looking at other wedding planner’s pages and listened to podcasts to teach myself all about the algorithms and the different kinds of clients you will find across the various social media platforms. For me, I discovered that most of my ideal clients are on Instagram, so I took a deep dive into learning everything I could do to improve my account. Since I started my business Instagram account in July 2021, I have gained almost 1,400 followers by consistently posting stories, reels and educational content and using the platform to create genuine connections and friendships with others. My main goal for 2022 was to get a majority of my leads from people who find me through Instagram, and as of August 2022, 90% of my inquiries are from Instagram! Social media has been, surprisingly, very hard work, but it has definitely paid off!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?

Getting engaged in May 2020 and married in April 2021, I had to plan my entire wedding during the peak of COVID. Saying that, I dealt with so many issues and disappointments throughout the planning process, allowing me to learn so much about the do and don’ts of the wedding industry along the way. Even though it was HARD to plan a wedding, I absolutely loved it. Being Type A, the opportunity to have budget spreadsheets, to-do lists and timelines was so fun for me! After my husband and I got married, I decided that I wanted to explore this love for organization and weddings more. In July of 2021, I launched my very own wedding planning and coordination business. I shortly after began a 6-month mentorship course that taught me all about both being a wedding planner AND being a business owner, which was so beneficial for me being unsure how to truly do either. Just over a year into my business, and I have over 20 clients of my own, amazing vendor friends and awesome event planning opportunities that I never could’ve dreamed of having this quickly. I love what I do and the fact that I get to do it every day for a living still amazes me.

As of right now, I offer several different packages, including Mini Coordination, Month-of Coordination, Partial Planning, Full Planning and Luxury Full Planning, along with Event Planning services. I like to offer a wide variety of services, because every client is different and has different needs. My job is to make my clients’ lives easier and to take all the weight that they may be carrying through this process off of their shoulders. Whether I am planning a wedding or an event, my job is to think on my feet, react calmly under pressure and find solutions before anyone even knows there is a problem. I want potential clients to know that my loyalty is to them, and when they hire me, they can trust that I will do everything in my power to make their experience easy, fun and everything they’d hoped for. My favorite thing about what I do is getting to know that I am responsible for creating such joy and happiness for both my clients AND their guests. Knowing that I am one of the reasons why someone looks back on their wedding day and has nothing but amazing memories is why I love being a wedding planner.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Podcasts and books are my LIFE! Currently, I have a long rotation of business podcasts that I listen to almost every day, including This Week in Weddings, Planner Life Podcast, Boss Girl Creative and Being Boss. Since I live about an hour north of Dallas, I drive a lot for weddings and events or to meet clients, so I have a ton of time to kill in my car. I always have one of these podcasts playing, because they get my brain juices flowing! LOL Some of my biggest dreams and best business ideas have been sparked while listening to these shows, so I can’t recommend them enough! As for books, I have been loving self-improvement and finance books. Both have taught me so much about my current self and the version of myself that I strive to get closer to every day! Some of my favorite books are Atomic Habits, You are a Badass and Nice Girls Don’t Get Rich. The next book in my lineup is Profit First, which I am so excited to start! I am a huge supporter of continually trying to educate and work on yourself, because that is only way you can grow both yourself and your business.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media is so hard! However, it is so beneficial to businesses in this incredibly digital age. Saying that, I have experimented with a lot of different things in hopes of building an audience on my socials. My advice for anyone wanting to build their social media presence is to remember these four things that greatly helped me: Educate, Inspire, Entertain and Community. I learned these four pillars when I was first starting my Instagram, and it totally changed how I viewed social media. To explain, when creating content, you want to strive to offer these four things to your audience. Pretend that you are a potential client. View your page through their eyes. Did you learn anything? Did your page spark any form of inspiration? Are you entertained? Do you feel connected to the person who runs the page? These are some key questions that you should ask yourself when building your social media. For example, think of a common problem in your industry. Then, make an Instagram carousel answering that particular question. Tada! You have managed to educate your audience. Next, share some wedding pictures from beautiful events that either you have worked or found while browsing the platform on your Instagram story. Boom! You’ve inspired a potential client looking for wedding ceremony ideas. Third, scroll through the Reels page. Save a couple trending sounds and create a Reel that is related to your job or your industry. You have now managed to entertain your viewers! Lastly, post content with your face in it. I know this can be hard, but it helps you appear relatable and friendly. Always remember that people want to work with other people. Additionally, support other vendors and their work on social platforms and start to form genuine connections and relationships with them. This is an incredibly effective way to create a stronger sense of community as well. Overall, remember these rules, and I can promise you that you will see growth from your social media!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.stokedweddings.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/stokedweddings
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/stokedweddings
• Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/stokedweddings/

Image Credits
@mneelyphotography @sarahkatephoto @joshua_aull @jamiehuffmanphotography @lizziechristineallen @jessanddoz @laurengaubertphotography @hansfilmandphoto